The picture I took of the strawberry moon, above, was actually taken in the early morning. The moon was so bright the night before I couldn't even look at it. And I saw two planets, one way to the left and one way to the right. I think I read that one of them had to have been Saturn, Amelia's favorite planet (thanks Little Einsteins). It was so beautiful.

These pictures go way back! It's been a bit of a scramble lately. I'm still making and shipping lotion bars at all hours, and now we're waiting for more labels to come from the printer, which is taking forever. They are supposed to arrive on Tuesday, now. Next time I launch anything I'm going to do it as a "pre-order." I should've done that with these but . . . I don't know why I didn't. I've been doing this long enough to know better, I would think. But anyway, thank you again for your patience — I've written directly to people who are still waiting for bars to let them know where I'm at. All is still on-track for Summer Storm kits (and the lotion bars that were ordered with them, as well) to ship, probably in the third and last weeks of July by the time we get it all together. Andy has pulled all of the embroidery floss, cross -stitch fabric is supposed to arrive today and then it will be cut, and I sent in the pattern to be printed yesterday. Nanny Katie, who used to help me with Posie years ago (seven years ago now!) is a high school teacher these days. She is on her summer break and is going to be working with me again until the fall. She started this past Monday and it's been so great to have her hanging around again. Love it.

And by the way, we are planning to do 600 Summer Storm kits so there are still tons left if you would like to order one. And the PDF for that pattern will be released as soon as I get caught up with all of this shipping. I'll let you know when it's ready to go.

Other than that, we've been hanging around the house quite a bit, going here or there when it's possible, otherwise just hanging. It's been really, really nice. Since Amelia got out of school several weeks ago, we've literally had nothing at all scheduled. I thought that would be stressful, but it turns out that she is just at the absolute perfect age to simply hang around. It's kind of amazing. We were at the park with some preschool friends the other day (which took, let me tell you, about twenty emails between ten people to find two hours when three of us could get together — ridiculous — this is why I miss school!) and she was just able to play, and play, and play, for hours, completely in flow and absorbed in her sand castles and sand balls and water sourcing. Watching stuff like that, watching them just be so occupied and lose all track of time, and not care where their snacks are, or what's happening later, or who's around or not around, etc., is one of the absolute greatest joys of parenting for me. Hands down. Isn't it just incredible that they do that? Is just so . . . human. Humans just have that capacity to find things so interesting, even really small humans. I mean, I don't know. I really do only have one life-goal for Amelia, and that is that I hope she finds something in life that she just loves to do. That's really all. I think everything else can come from there. I know people who don't really have that and I think it's hard for them, and then lots of other things are harder. . . .

I've got many sweaters happening at night. The white-ish sweater is one I started, honestly, months ago now. It's Alfred's Sweater by Petite Knit for Mimi, on size 3 needles in single-ply fingering, dyed by me. It is a sloooooooow knit. So slow. Basically, it's an entire sweater done in ribbing. It's so pretty but I'm ready to move along. The greenish one is the Rose Sweater by Knit by TrineP in 6-12 month size in single-ply Merino fingering, dyed by me, that I made for the @knit_beyond_borders auction on Instagram. The pinkish one is another Rose Sweater, this time for Mimi, in single-ply Merino fingering called Antique Rose, dyed by Lichen and Lace. I've been terrible about updating my Ravelry page with the things I've worked on this spring and summer, but hopefully I'll get my act together an do that soon. I'm super anxious to start a #sorbetcardigan and my yarn for that should be arriving any day. That one's for me. I wish I was a notebook-keeping type of person because I feel like I have a lot of things that I see that I want to keep track of and make in the future, or color combinations that are pretty, or someone's yarn that's sold out that I want to remember and try to get next time, or whatever, and instead all of these things just scatter through the air around me like dandelion seeds, or something. I'm incredibly disorganized about my inspirations. I have Ravelry and Pinterest boards and IG saves and all of that. But I don't really have my own personal method of keeping track of anything, anything at all. And I want that. I think it would help me lower my shoulders. I keep a lot of things in my head and I'm not sure why.

I did just treat myself to this lovely sounding book box and I can hardly wait until it gets here. And now I think I'm going to go get some fancy ice cream to bring home to Andy and Amelia. Summer. I'm gettin' on board. It takes me a while, but it's happening.

22 comments

If you do get a notebook (and I totally endorse a notebook), two suggestions:
1. a table of contents/front of book index to categorize things and say approximately what's in there
2. post-it notes to act as tabs for places you are likely to want to flip to (list of what books you want to read, for instance, or yarns to check for, or whatever)

I have so many project notes pages and so many lists going on in my sketchbook/notebook/book-of-all-work, and these two organizational things have helped keep me ticking more happily along.

(okay, also: anything other than lay-flat books drive me completely bonkers, so that may be something to look for/think about)

I am a nonknitter (I think that should be one word) but so admire your work in all related handcraft arenas. I work in a corporate environment and love the mental challenges but wish I could nurture artistic ones. You are a queen in that arena- I can’t believe how fast you hurl pictures of these beautiful constructions at us,your readers, as though they were almost afterthoughts.. what master work! So just a shout out to Millefeuilles, a blog site that brought me by reference to you and Melissa- (your book reference that also caught my attention) and Artemis on the Isle of Wight, and Ginny of Small Things ,now my favorite blogs. It no longer seems active, but I’m grateful.

❤Thank you, thank you❤ I just received my WonderfulLotionBar and just having it makes me want to pick up some yarn and go to town on a new project~! What a lovely little thing to do for us. You're the Best.
XOXO

I just rubbed some of my lotion bar on after returning from swimming. I rub it into my nails as the pool water dries them out so much. Is the river you show in this post the secret place you told me about? :-) I'm so impressed with your sweaters. The most complicated thing I've ever knit was the little dress for my Maria rabbit I made from your kit. I love that thing. Enjoy this glorious weather. ((hugs)), Teresa :-) (Oh, I put up a post about our 4th of July parade out here in Corbett.)

omigolly - honestly if Meryl Streep wrote to me and told me she was reading my blog, I don't think I could be more delighted! Was that grammatically correct?? Thanks so much for the shout out. To Josette - oh my goodness - I think it was via Stephanie at Millefeuilles that I might have initially found my way here! She's such an amazing soul. Oh! I got my lotion bar and it's SO beautiful I can't believe it. I show it to everyone who comes into the house! I can't wait to take a million photos of it and put it on Instagram. :) XOXOXO

You need a bullet journal, Alicia! It can be as fancy or as simple as you want. It is a way to record both daily to-dos and totally random "collections" of things you want to remember, and since you use a blank journal you don't get that sinking guilty feeling when there are tonnes of blank days in your agenda because you forgot to use it for a bit...I'm not explaining the concept well, but you can Google it, check out the official guide first before you fall into the Instagram hole of beautiful journals...I'm making your Time of Flowers pattern right now, loving it! Perfect for hiding in the basement during our latest heatwave in Quebec.

Loved the rambling quality of this post as that as how my mind works everyday and I also leave my thoughts of projects and "to do's" floating about like dandelion fluff. Thanks so much for the link to the summer book box. I have hopped on over to Julia's blog and left a message--it sounds so fun to get a little gift box in the mail. I hope I am not too late to get in on the order. Maybe we will find some new summer recipe inspiration!

Julia's Vintage Summer Box is delightful!! I recently received mine in the mail. You will enjoy it indeed. I love not really having a schedule in the summer with the kiddo out of school, except for swim lessons twice a week, but those are fun. We are having a rare PNW weather day here on the east coast with lots of clouds, low humidity and temps in the low 70's and I absolutely love it! Enjoy your ice cream!

Where do you find Amelia's bathing suits with the long sleeves? I used to get my daughter's at Costco but they haven't had them the last couple summers. I would love to find her some to keep the sun off her shoulders.

As always, you take beautiful pictures and write equally lovely words to accompany them. I love watching my children deep in play, and if that kind of play is learned at a young age, they never really grow out of it. My 12 year old son spent the better part of the other morning constructing a rock dam in a favorite creek. It was masterful and geometrical and made me so proud. I hear you about keeping track of all the project-y things. I have a notebook that I love for finished objects, but find that my plans for future projects change so much! I made a goal to use ravelry and pinterest to keep track of digital finds and plans and my stash this year, in addition to my little analog notebooks. It has been such a relief to gain back some mental real estate! I hope you find your perfect system.

Well I like your streamofconsciousness approach to life, in which you seem to get plenty done in a very organised way and thern take the time to share it, but do you know Heather Bruggeman at Beauty that Moves? She's the queen of notebooks and organisation folders and what not. I'm in awe of her too. You young folk seem to have incredible drive and energy and it's all very inspiring. Wish I'd had the internet at your age.

The photos. They are beautiful. You have such a gift for capturing the moment. I just posted some pictures from our family vacation and actually thought as I was working on them, "These just don't measure up." But at least I remembered to make some photos!

Why is it everything you make sells...I've seen these exact same beeswax bars all over the internet..yet your's sell. What is it with you don't get me wrong I think it's a good thing, but really, is it your daughter that helps sell your stuff because of the story behind her. Just curious not that I am selling just follow your blog, those bars are so easy to make anyone can do it...just go to a site that sells ingredients. Like Bulk aromatherapy...these bars are no different then all the rest out there.

love the way your photos capture the season! always... so well done! our summer started out super fast and busy and now we have settled in and mostly just hang around. i absolutely love it!! after a school year it feels amazing to be schedule free for a bit.

Those lotion bars... I ordered mine off of my phone, while we were traveling. It looked too pretty to pass up. Now I am home and can see these on my large monitor, I am even more delighted! You have a graceful and compelling way of sharing your crafts and skills, and it's nothing to do with 'a hard sale' or manipulation... but rather integrity, sincerity, and your diligent and earnest work. You see beauty in the world, and make a focus of it in your blog and crafts. Your efforts, your grace, make it a joy to participate, to engage in your process, be inspired, and to support you as an artist.

Hi there, Thank you so much for sending the lanolin bar to my niece. She loves it but her comment was that it was too pretty to use. I laughed at that. she said that the whole presentation was wonderful. Thank you for do this for me.

Your wondering about which planets you see in the sky prompts me to recommend the free phone app called SkyView (like all things these days, there's a free version and an enhanced version you can pay for -- I've always been fine with the free version). You can use it to point your phone at any celestial object, and it will identify it for you! You can use it any time of day (so, even when it's sunny out and you might just wonder which planets are out there, you can just slowly move your phone around and see!) and it also charts movements of several satellites. it will also identify constellations for you, and superimpose an image on top of the stars -- so, a bear over ursa major, etc. Super easy, super fun.

About

My name is Alicia Paulsonand I love to make things. I live with my husband and daughter in Portland, Oregon, and design sewing, embroidery, knitting, and crochet patterns. See more about me at aliciapaulson.com